Anxiety: Causes and Management
SHRI
Anxiety: Causes and Management
Richa Shri1
Anxiety disorders affect one-eighth of the total population worldwide, and have become a very important area of research interest in psychopharmacology. People with anxiety disorders can benefit from psychological treatments, pharmacotherapy or a combination of the two. Common limitations of conventional antianxiety therapy include co-morbid psychiatric disorders and increase in dose of drugs leading to intolerable side effects. These limitations have prompted the use of traditional and alternative systems of medicine. This paper reviews the causes, and the effective and safe therapy for anxiety disorders. Keywords: anxiety disorders, psychological treatments, pharmacotherapy, alternative therapy.
The environment we are living in is physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and morally dynamic and challenging. We possess effective mechanisms to meet every day stress. Sometimes, normal adaptive mechanisms can be over-activated and, thus, become maladaptive. A common outcome of such over-activation is anxiety and insomnia (Spinella, 2001). Anxiety is a subjective feeling of unease, discomfort, apprehension or fearful concern accompanied by a host of autonomic and somatic manifestations. Anxiety is a normal, emotional, reasonable and expected response to real or potential danger. However, if the symptoms of anxiety are prolonged, irrational, disproportionate and/or severe; occur in the absence of stressful events or stimuli; or interfere with everyday activities, then, these are called Anxiety Disorders (DSM IV-TR, 2000). Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental, emotional, and behavioral problems (Kessler et al., 2005a, 2005b; Olatunji et al., 2007; Kessler & Wang, 2008). These affect one-eighth of the total population worldwide, and have become a very important area of research interest in psychopharmacology (Eisenberg et al., 1998; Dopheide & Park, 2002; WHO, 2004).
1
Senior Lecturer,
Anxiety: Causes and Management
Richa Shri1
Anxiety disorders affect one-eighth of the total population worldwide, and have become a very important area of research interest in psychopharmacology. People with anxiety disorders can benefit from psychological treatments, pharmacotherapy or a combination of the two. Common limitations of conventional antianxiety therapy include co-morbid psychiatric disorders and increase in dose of drugs leading to intolerable side effects. These limitations have prompted the use of traditional and alternative systems of medicine. This paper reviews the causes, and the effective and safe therapy for anxiety disorders. Keywords: anxiety disorders, psychological treatments, pharmacotherapy, alternative therapy.
The environment we are living in is physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and morally dynamic and challenging. We possess effective mechanisms to meet every day stress. Sometimes, normal adaptive mechanisms can be over-activated and, thus, become maladaptive. A common outcome of such over-activation is anxiety and insomnia (Spinella, 2001). Anxiety is a subjective feeling of unease, discomfort, apprehension or fearful concern accompanied by a host of autonomic and somatic manifestations. Anxiety is a normal, emotional, reasonable and expected response to real or potential danger. However, if the symptoms of anxiety are prolonged, irrational, disproportionate and/or severe; occur in the absence of stressful events or stimuli; or interfere with everyday activities, then, these are called Anxiety Disorders (DSM IV-TR, 2000). Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental, emotional, and behavioral problems (Kessler et al., 2005a, 2005b; Olatunji et al., 2007; Kessler & Wang, 2008). These affect one-eighth of the total population worldwide, and have become a very important area of research interest in psychopharmacology (Eisenberg et al., 1998; Dopheide & Park, 2002; WHO, 2004).
1
Senior Lecturer,